Rating: 
Summary: "You put a shiv in my partner. You know what that means?"
Review: Despite its commercial stature, William Friedkin's "The French Connection" feels like an entry from the European "New Wave" school. Such films adopted a documentary-like technique to cast a spotlight on the darker aspects of European society in much the same way that this film critiques New York society. This cinematic version of the Big Apple is a dark and sinister place populated by criminals who keep the police on their toes at all times. So active is the criminal element that the task of upholding the law has become tedious rather than rewarding to the boys with the badges. "The French Connection" is based on the true story of the largest drug bust in American history. The film's primary characters are Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner Buddy "Cloudy" Russo (Roy Scheider). Both men are intense and high-wired individuals who work the narcotics beat and find themselves in a most opportunistic situation. While hanging out in a night club one evening, Doyle and Russo stumble upon a mysterious man named Sal Boca (Tony Lo Bianco). Through a combination of surveillance and wire taps, Boca is tied to a Frenchman (Fernando Rey) who appears to be engineering a major drug transaction. The two cops stay hot on the Frenchman's trail hoping to make the bust of their careers, but the Frenchman proves cagey and elusive. However, Doyle and Russo catch a lucky break when a seemingly minor detail regarding an impounded car cracks the case wide open. Hackman, in his first major role, carves out a memorable performance as the unconventional cop and Scheider also distinguishes himself as he offers tantalizing hints of the stardom he would later achieve in "Jaws". The film's celebrated car chase is also a breathtaking display of technical wizardry. The only negative this film has is that its look and feel has become dated. This is an early 1970's film and it certainly won't be mistaken for anything else. There is a drabness to its color scheme that drains it of some of its energy and reminds viewers of similar-themed television shows of the era. The film's street lingo also comes across as relics of the past and keeps the film from attaining a timeless feel. Yet, the fact that "The French Connection" is still entertaining is a testament to both Hackman and Scheider. Both actors elevate the film to a level it wouldn't have otherwise reached without them. You'll be cheering for them from the opening credits to the end credits.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant
Review: I have bought this DVD last year and I have to say that it is one of the best action movies I've seen! Excellent story and fascinating actors! Hackman and Scheider did an amazing job in this movie.
This DVD should be added to your collection, buy it now.
I recommend "The Conversation" too, a well underrated movie of the 70's, Gene Hackman stars in it as well.
Rating:
Summary: The French Connection should disturb all American patriots
Review: The French Connection is among the best films of all time. It easily earned those five major Academy Awards. I personally rate this particular work of Director William Friedkin in the top fifty. Unfortunately, it also has much in common with the infamous racist Birth of a Nation. I hesitate to compare the French Connection to Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi Triumph of the Will, but others might legitimately make this case. In other words, a moral person, after viewing this movie, should come away with a conclusion possibly not intended by its creators. The French Connection, loosely based on a real series of events, was filmed in 1971 when many people naively thought that a victory on the war on drugs was right around the corner. Many excused the disgraceful behavior of "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner "Cloudy" (Roy Schieder) as simply necessary in combatting the international drug cartels. The ground breaking car chase was wildly cheered and few considered whether it made sense for Doyle to risk the lives of innocent citizens in pursuit of the fleeing criminal. In another disturbing scene, the two detectives violate the rights of bar patrons who may not have necessarily been involved in illegal activity. The fact that these folks were Afro-American may be a commentary on the racial attitudes of that period. One does not need to be a political leftist to be appalled by such disgraceful police behavior. The editors of the conservative National Review also decry our nation's ludicrous war on mind altering drug use. There is something that was deliberately left out of the film: the French Connection case accomplished essentially nothing! The seized heroin were soon found missing in the police evidence room. Almost certainly, these drugs were eventually sold on the streets of New York. It is now thirty one years later, and we have yet to realize the foolishness of prohibiting people from choosing to indulge in self destructive activity. Our current laws have only made matters worse. I strongly recommend that you see a few other films devoted to the same theme. Rush, Blow, Traffic, and the most recent Narc, also deserve your time and interest.
Rating:
Summary: Merci Beaucoup 20th Century Fox!
Review: This review refers to the Five Star Collection(20th Cent Fox)DVD.....
In 1971 audiences were thrilled by this high action film and especially it's still now famous chase scene,which by many is considered the best ever(or maybe tied with "Bullet").Now we can again be thrilled by this fine edition of the DVD.
"The French Connection" is based on actual events that concluded with the biggest drug bust ever made. Two New York city cops "Popeye" Doyle(Gene Hackman) and his partner "Cloudy"(Roy Schieder),
start tailing a guy they are suspicious of. Soon they uncover an international drug smuggling ring, but proving it is the tough part."Popeye" is a hard core, lecherous,racist, but a cop through and through. "Cloudy" is slighty more laid back. They pull out all the stops to catch these guys, who have come from France to do business. When the dealers realize they are being chased,they go after the cops, and the action really heats up. Lots of chases, on foot, the infamous car chase where Popeye is actually chasing a train through the streets of New York, and there's even a great little cat and mouse scene in the subway.
Your heart will be in your throat by the end.
It was filmed right in the area of New York City that the events acutally happened, Director William Friedkin makes us feel like it's all happening right then and there. Not only was it a groundbreaking film but it was also an eye opener as to the amount of drugs that were being smuggled into the United States.
The film took home five Statues on Oscar night, including Best Picture, Best Actor(Hackman)and Best Director. It was one of the films where the audience used to stand and applaud at the end.Hackman and Scheider WERE these cops! The cast is well rounded out by Fernando Rey and Tony Lo Bianco,and the real Detectives have cameo roles.
Thank you 20th Cent Fox for giving this film the treatment it deserves. The DVD is a 2 disc set in a beautiful package. It has been THX digitally mastered, this 30 year old film looks and sounds great. It is in anamorphic widescreen(original theatre aspect), you have the choice of 5.1 Dolby Surround, or Stereo Surround, can be played in French or with English or Spanish subtitles. You can also watch the film with the Director's commentary. Disc2 has lots of extras, documentaries, the one by the BBC is especially informative,Deleted scenes, and more.
If you have seen this film already and know how good it is,you'll love the DVD. Seeing it for the first time on this DVD will be a real treat. For those that have seen it I'll just end by saying...Ever been to Poughkeepsie? ...Enjoy...Laurie
Rating: 
Summary: Realism is better! (good DVD features)
Review: There is a current idea in Hollywood that can be stated by the axiom, "never let realism get in the way of the story." (especially in the age of CGI) The French Connection is an emphatic rebuke to this idiom. The film is engrossing, taut, and suspenseful simply because it is realistic. Director Friedkin (who deservedly won an Oscar) adds to the realism by using ambient lighting and framing the action like a documentary (apparently he rehearsed the actors separately from the crew, then told to crew to "find the shot"). The main credit for the realism, however, lies with Scheider and the Oscar-winning Hackman in the lead roles. They accompanied real cops to real drug busts for a few weeks to pick up the lingo and techniques. Friedkin also deserves credit for allowing the actors to improvise and for listening to his expert advisors. The story is based on a true story, about a heroin-smuggling ring bringing drugs from Europe to New York. The policemen protrayed by Hackman and Scheider are real people who initiated the investigation. Of course, the movie compresses 2 years of surveillance and police work into a of couple hours, and the celebrated car-chasing-train scene didn't take place in real life. However, each individual scene rings true, and you get a good overall impression of what life was like in the mean streets of New York in 1971. This DVD has a number of extra features, including some character-developing scenes that were cut from the final version (and rightfully so). Friedkin gives a little info on each one. In addition, there are two documentaries, both commenting on how the film was made and how it related to the real case. There is some overlap (especially if you also include Freidkin's audio commentary), but not enough that you get irritated by it. Scheider and Hackman both have about 1/2 hour worth of commentary as well - Scheider's is the best of the three commentaries, in my opinion. Therefore, pick up this version of the DVD to get some neat extras. The video and sound weren't especially cleaned up for the DVD version - the filming was originally meant to be a little shakey and unclear in places - so the DVD maintains his original vision.
Rating:
Summary: Gritty Fun
Review: Yes, everybody describes this movie as "gritty" and I do too. "The French Connection" was filmed in a style which makes you feel like you're following these two guys around as they try to figure out what the drug dealers of New York City and Marseille are up to. The storytelling is very well-done, as we are given signs of both hope and despair as the police find clues leading to when the big drug switch is going to take place. This movie paved the way for some great film acting careers for Gene Hackman, who's still going strong in movies like "The Royal Tenenbaums," and Roy Schieder, who we'll always remember as Chief Brody in "Jaws," a classic in its own right. If you want to know why everybody says that the 1970s were a great film decade, see "The French Connection" (and also "Chinatown" if you have time!)
Rating:
Summary: Like A Fine Wine...
Review: Like a fine wine this movie has aged masterfully. If anything it is a classic example of how the 70's were a golden period of filmaking. All the adjectives about The French Connection have been used...gritty, tough, violent etc. Watching it again I was impressed on so many levels, particularly the way Friedkin develops the characters and tells the tale.
What can you say about Gene Hackman's Popey Doyle? Yes, he's a brutal racist without any redeeming qualities. Yet why do we want him to catch the suave debonair Fernando Rey so badly? It is a testament to both Hackman's brilliant,explosive performance and Friedkin's masterful direction that we are left rooting for someone we really shouldn't be.
The car-subway chase is still exhilirating, but for my money there are two scenes that truelly stand out.
First watching Hackman stakeout Rey outside the posh French Restaurant in the bitter cold New York winter. No words are spoken but you can feel the bite of the cold air and the unforgiving chill that grips the city.
The second is the cat and mouse game that is played out between the two at Grand Central Station, culminating in the little wave goodbye that Rey gives.
Why don't we see this sort of filmaking anymore?
The bottom line...an ugly cop, doing an ugly job in an ugly city (no Disneyfied Times Square here!) makes for a great film.
Rating:
Summary: Gotta love it!
Review: Gene Hackman is awesome in this movie and should have gotten the academy award. The movie is intense and filled with violent and graphic scenes. The musical score is very well done and the scenery is spectacular. Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Good but didn't blow me away.
Review: So having seen all the reviews and heard the hype I was a little dissapointed. My biggest problem with the movie is this: I grew up watching all the police story/action movies that have been trying to take what the French Connection did and do it bigger and better. And in almost any category you can name there are other movies that do a better job than the french connection. This isn't to say that the French Connection doesn't do a good job in many categories, it does. But while intellectually I can appreciate the genius of the movie for the time it came out (30+ years ago), I can't get really excited about it in my heart (having seen better chase scenes, plots, grittyness, unlikable/likeable characters, etc)
I am going to go out on a limb here, but I would guess many of the people who are responsable for all the 5 star reviews saw the movie on the big screen (or are far better than I at turning intellectual knowledge into heartfelt excitement) And for them I think it makes sense, it probably blew away a whole generation of people when it came out, and the nostalga of flick and the fact that after 30 years it is still a pretty good movie must make them love it. I'm not of that generation of people though and it doesn't blow me away. :/
So if you didn't catch this one back in the day, you probably won't be quite as excited about it as some of the reviewers you see shouting it's praises above all action movies of the last 30 years. Still it is pretty decent flick to rent if you haven't seen it.
Rating:
Summary: The Gold Standard of Cop Films
Review: I agree with the reviewer from California - A Clockwork Orange was the best film of 1971 (perhaps of its time as far as shear filmmaking goes) - but The French Connection is probably the best cops and robbers movie of all time. I have watched it numerous times and it is a masterpeice of filmmaking, acting and storytelling - what a performance by Hackman ... and Roy Scheider as well. Of course, it's also the first blow of William Friedkin's incredible early 70's one-two punch ("The French Connection" and then "The Exorcist"). This is one of those rare films where it all comes together. A must own for any cinema buff.
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